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What do you choose – professional garage door installation vs. DIY kit? To save money, some people choose a do-it-yourself approach to household repairs. However, some projects can be too risky to handle on your own without expert help. Garage door repairs are amongst such works. This article aims to present the dangers of attempting DIY garage door repairs and possible consequences that aren’t worth saving money but can save your time and health.
Risks of DIY garage door repair
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Maintenance projects like applying grease or cleaning door tracks are safe and simple. The dangers of DIY garage door repair lies in the tackling of complex maintenance and handling of powerful garage door openers without proper training.
Making it worse
A non-professional attempting to repair a garage door can make the damage worse. A simple rewiring can cause a short circuit that can damage the door opener. Repairs that need to disassemble almost the entire garage door mechanism — like the changing of a broken torsion spring — is especially risky. In the course of the “repair,” you might damage components that were otherwise working, thus increasing your repair bill when you finally call a professional.
Wasted time and effort
Imagine playing with Lego, and as you are about to finish a thousand-block masterpiece, which took you the whole day to accomplish — you notice a big Lego block that you left out. Same with everything, the last thing you want to do when fixing a garage door is doing it all over again just because you missed something. One of the most frustrating, but sadly common, mistakes during garage repairs is placing the torsion springs the wrong way. Also, buying the wrong kind of cables or springs can waste an entire day’s effort.
Working without the proper tools
Attempting to repair your garage door without the requisite tools can make your efforts harder. Some people prefer to use a dining chair instead of a work ladder. Instead of vice-grips to secure the door, some use ordinary pliers. Not only are these ‘tools’ insufficient for the task, using them can lead to injuries.
Injuries
Among all the risks, the possibility of suffering an injury is the most compelling justification for not fixing your garage doors by yourself. The garage door consists of many mechanical parts that can cause harm when mishandled. For example, when you reconnect garage door tension springs and cables DIY, dangerous and powerful compressed forces can cause severe damage. To expound further, below is a list of common injuries that can happen when you don’t get an expert to fix your garage door.
Four most common injuries with DIY garage door repair
Is it dangerous to replace garage door spring DIY-style? Let’s just say that even experienced technicians can be harshly injured if they let their guard down, let alone the people dealing with garage doors for the first time. Here are some common injuries while working on garage door DIY.
1. Bruises or broken bones from a fall
The garage door torsion spring is responsible for moving the garage door up and down. These springs are wound up very tight, so if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can accidentally release those forces. This sudden release of the springs can cause you to fall from your ladder and land badly on your back, knee, or arms. Simple mistakes like forgetting to unplug the motor can cause a small electrical shock that can knock you off balance. When these mishaps happen, you’ll be lucky to escape with just a bruise.
2. Gashes and lacerations
When you attempt to replace a torsion spring, those hard metal coils can unwind super fast. If it hits any part of your body, it can leave a deep gash and a trip to the emergency room. Getting your hand caught on the roller cables and track lines can also cause painful lacerations.
3. Smashed fingers
Just hearing someone “smashed their fingers” brings a sense of dread because it is a painful injury. This serious injury can happen in various ways, from having your fingers trapped on the door track or getting them caught on the springs or main garage door. If you have a day job where you do a lot of typing, you are sure to have a rough time.
4. Head injuries
Head injuries while working on garage door DIY-style can be extremely dangerous. A torsion spring replacement requires to be wound dozens of times, each time increasing the pent-up forces. An unskilled person might be standing too close during the winding process. If the winding bar accidentally slips, it can savagely swing out — hitting anything close by, your head included.
5. Losing a digit
A defective garage door may not have a functioning system. Without it, the garage door might accidentally open or close while you are working on it. The heavy door and the strong spring forces can cause extreme harm — enough to cut off a finger. This injury can be quite rare in occurrence, but why take the risk?
We’re here to help
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Spare yourself the hassle of DIY repair risks and injuries. STI Garage Door is an established professional company specializing in garage door design, installation, maintenance, and repair. We have more than six years of experience and have repaired hundreds of garage doors.
If your garage door needs repair, call us. Based on our phone conversation and a brief interview, we can provide a cost estimate. What’s more, our experts can visit for an onsite inspection for a more in-depth assessment of the problem. Once done, we can provide you with a more accurate proposal and timeline.
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